Uber eyes self-driving scooters, bikes

Uber is working on self-driving scooters and bikes, according to 3DRobotics CEO Chris Anderson. The company announced plans to explore electric scooters and bikes that can drive themselves to charging stations and riders.

In a tweet on Saturday, Anderson revealed that the ride-hailing app is hiring engineers for “Micromobility Robotics” — a division under JUMP, Uber’s on-demand rideshare for bikes and scooters. Its main group, Uber Advance Technologies Group, will continue its work on self-driving cars.

Although there are few public details about the initiative, TechCrunch found a Google Form for career opportunities that says: “The New Mobilities team at Uber is exploring ways to improve safety, rider experience, and operational efficiency of our shared electric scooters and bicycles through the application of sensing and robotics technologies.”

The news comes less than a year after one of Uber’s self-driving cars struck and killed a woman outside of Phoenix, Arizona.

With self-driving bikes and scooters, Uber could more efficiently replace vehicles with low batteries with freshly charged alternatives. Combined with removable batteries, which Uber revealed in December, the company aims to guarantee a more reliable, accessible fleet of bikes and scooters.